The Good Wife is finally back — and in great form. The central case united the firm in some ways and divided it in others. But even at the height of tension, it sure was good to see everybody again.

AFTERELLEN BAIT

Sigh. We barely even saw Kalinda this episode. But this is a good opportunity to refer you to a panel on The Good Wifefrom this week’s New York Times Art & Leisure Weekend, featuring Patricia Cohen interviewing Robert and Michelle King, Julianna Margulies, Josh Charles and Christine Baranski. If you’re a fan of TGW, it’s an hour well spent. Hearing the writers and actors discuss the characters’ development and relationships is fascinating — and reveals again just how well written this show is.

My favorite quote came from Julianna Margulies when she was talking about the difference between herself and Alicia, especially in terms of thinking before she speaks. She said that her own reaction to Diane and Will asking her to work with Kalinda would be, “That slut Kalinda f—ed my husband, why the f–k do you want me to do a case with her?”

Awesome.

FEELINGS, FEELINGS, FEELINGS!

This episode seemed to be more case-heavy than usual, as Lockhart Gardner is threatened with a lawsuit for encouraging a divorce so the firm could profit. But a lot of feelings emerged as the entire firm came under fire. The most telling was Eli’s response: When he learned that he was personally liable for $1.2 million, he was ready to throw David Lee (who handled the original case) under the bus, in contrast to the rest of the firm rallying to solve the problem. I am not liking Eli too much these days. I am, however, kind of liking Cary. He had a chance to trash Alicia — and didn’t. In his words, “Things change.” I hope this marks a softer, gentler Cary. So does Alicia.

FUN WITH GUEST STARS

F. Murray Abraham was back as attorney Burl Preston and Edward Herrmann appeared as an attorney Will interviewed to handle his investigation by the State’s Attorney. Aussie actor Bryan Brown guest starred as Jack Copeland, process server and, perhaps, a future love interest for Diane. I love flirty Diane.

Best of all, Carrie Preston returned as the delightfully odd Elsbeth Tascioni, who is going to represent Will. Her handling of Wendy Scott-Carr was masterful.

FUTURE BLOCK

Thanks to Elsbeth, Wendy is bombarded by judges wondering why she’s investigating the most honest judges in the court. She’s going to turn up the heat on Will, but I expect Elsbeth will block her at every turn. And that will be a joy to watch.

All in all, this was a pretty great episode to set up the second half of the season. What did you think? Is Diane set for romance? Are Kalinda and Alicia getting more comfortable with each other?